


Final Project

by orphan_account



Series: 2015 Valentines [2]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Space, Gen, Military Academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 04:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3343802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will has heard of Ridgedog before. He's a member of an alien species that is rumored to have the powers of gods. Will is interested to see what this Ridgedog will show for his final project, his technological parting gift to the academy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Final Project

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Strangers Friends and Lovers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2587202) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> Valentine for [Wisp-queen](http://wisp-queen.tumblr.com).

Will Strife typed on the hologram keyboard projected from his tablet, shoulders stiff from his intense focus. The tactical analysis assignment wasn’t due for another two weeks, but would rather give himself more time to edit the draft to perfection. He already began a head start on the assignment at the library, where he was able to successfully avoid running into that damn impeccable bastard Xephos. 

He didn’t need more reminders of how Xephos was so much better than Will at everything he did. At least nobody but that contemptible Blue commented on how dull his glow was getting. As long as he avoided his cursed roommate, he could just be a normal student. Meanwhile, Xephos was the flawless teacher’s pet who constantly exceeded the instructors’ expectations for their class at every opportunity.

It was so infuriating. 

But perhaps not unexpected. Blues always got the best of everything, and Greens were only ever meant to work on the home world until they finally succumbed to the poisonous smog that formed the unofficial lowest layer of the atmosphere. 

Xephos had never set foot on that planet. He never would. This academy was exactly what was expected of him, of a Blue. Will was the one who had to fight his way to get here. 

Will couldn’t wait until the next year, when he would finally get a room of his own. He had spoken to the residential coordinator to ask about rooms the day after he moved in and saw the sickeningly optimistic Blue on the other side of the dorm. The second that housing applications would be accepted, Will’s would be submitted.

That blindingly shining blue was just now ambling into the lecture hall, followed by his typical entourage of friends and admirers. Will paused in his typing, squeezed his hands into fists, and glared at the screen, directing all of his irritation at Xephos at it.

Thankfully, Xephos didn’t see him and his group took a seat at the far side of the lecture hall. 

Good. 

Will shut off his tablet and straightened up in his seat. He watched the stage, which was still hidden by a wall that would lower into the ground once the presentation was about to begin. Will was truly looking forward to it. 

Ridgedog, an engineering major in the senior class, was going to be presenting his final project. During the past week, many other engineering majors had presented their projects, although to much smaller crowds in smaller lecture halls. Normally, these presentations rarely garnered the attention of the entire academy.

But Ridge was a _deios_ , a rarely-seen species from seven galaxies away. Although most of the rumors of _deios_ compared them to mythological gods, Ridgedog was a prodigy even among his species. 

Soon, the wall would retreat into the stage and the audience, comprised of almost the entire academy as well as some special guests, would be able to see what new advancement in engineering and technology Ridgedog had brought to the academy.

Will bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling as he tried to imagine what he would be able to see. He quickly looked down at his hands and his heart lurched in horror when he saw the small specks of green on his hands glowing a brighter green than they had been for months. Will immediately crushed the excitement and watched them return to the dull color he had grown to like. 

The wall began moving and the entire audience hushed. Will watched, and while he allowed feelings of anticipation start to affect his neurotransmitter levels, he refused to let the happy feelings of joyful excitement return. He wasn’t a little kid and he certainly wasn’t a Blue who wanted everyone to see his color. He didn’t need those emotions.

Finally, the wall was down and the audience murmured amongst themselves at the display set before them.

Ridgedog was standing downstage, waiting at a small podium, dressed in his immaculate ironed uniform. In the center of the stage was an intriguing array of equipment, most of which Will recognized, and a hospital bed on wheels that was crowded with some of the most convoluted life support systems Will had ever seen. He wondered what something like that was doing in the middle of all of the other machinery. Generators, a mainframe, a biologic computer, several stacks of closed steel boxes piled higher with coils of wires, and a machine that looked like a matter organizer, although it was far too big.

Will looked from the bed to the equipment. There was a thin filmy curtain covering most of the bed, so it was impossible to tell if there was anyone on it.

Ridge cleared his throat. “Hey. I’m Ridgedog. This project is actually not finished yet. Right here, right now, you’ll be able to watch its completion.”

He looked offstage, to his left, and nodded. Three other students joined him on the stage and started taking tools and smaller pieces of machinery out of the boxes. Ridge whispered inaudibly to them, and then returned to face the audience.

“A lot of what I’m using is stuff that I built specifically for this,” he explained. “So if you don’t recognize it, that’s why.” He turned back to guide his friends through setting up the equipment.

Will nodded. That was unusual for an Engineering student, as far as he heard. There were so many expectations for the project that most Engineering majors wouldn’t bother creating new machines. Often, they improved older designs, but for Ridge to make so many things presumably from scratch… it was impressive.

Someone in the front row shouted, “What are you going to show us?”

Ridge came back to the podium. “Some of you here might have heard what happened to Bebop last year. I’m going to transfer his consciousness into this,” and with that cue, one of Ridge’s friends opened up the side of the thing that Will had thought was a matter organizer.

Inside was a slim robotic body. Will stared at it in amazement while most of the audience gasped in shock.

“Amazing,” Will whispered. His speckles were glowing again, very faintly, but he didn’t care about that. For this, it was worth it.

Ridge didn’t pull back the curtain, but he moved it slightly and whispered softly to the person on it--to Bebop. Will had never heard of anyone by that name, so he gently tapped on the armrest of the person to his side.

“What?” It was a member of a gray-skinned species. 

“Who is Bebop?”

His neighbor, who was a third year student by the design of his uniform, shrugged. “Eh, he’s the love of Ridge’s life or something. Got stuck in a bad explosion last year and almost died. They said he wasn’t going to live longer than eighteen months of something, even with all the shit they’ve been dumping into his body to keep him alive.”

Will looked back at the stage with much more respect now. So he was trying to save the life of his lover? Or maybe his best friend? That was an impressive feat, although he wondered what the academy would have to say about his use of resources.

The audience was still muttering to one another when Ridge returned to the podium again.

“This is it,” he announced. Will noticed his hands had a slight shake to them. The audience quieted again.

Ridgedog stood at the biologic computer and read over it carefully. His friends all stood near the container holding the robot. 

“You ready, Bebop?” Ridge asked. 

“Go,” came a faint, weak voice from behind the curtain.

What happened next was almost too fast for Will to watch. The generators whirred loudly, several of Ridge’s machines sparked, and a number of panels surrounding and covering the robot body pulsed with colored lights. Will settled on watching the robot body, waiting with bated breath for a response.

If this worked, it would open countless opportunities for medicinal technology. If Ridge could actually transfer the consciousness of a living human into a robot...

The noises and lights and sparks died down suddenly. Ridge instantly moved to stand by his friends, watching the robot body.

Then, a symbol showed up on the dark domed face plate of the robot. A smile made out of shining red lines and dots.

A tinny voice echoed throughout the silent lecture hall.

“Hey Ridge. I’m in.”

The lecture hall exploded with cheering. Ridge and one of his friends moved forwards instantly to help the robot carrying Bebop’s mind out of the container. The robot, which was much shorter than any of the alien species crowding around it, stepped out of their reach and planted its hands on its hips.

“What’s up!” It called out to the crowd, which was still wildly applauding the marvelous advancement in technology that it has just witnessed.

Ridge’s friends began packing up the equipment, but one of the deans of the academy ascended a short flight of stairs up to the stage, clapping slowly. The audience stopped clapping, but the people were still talking excitedly to themselves.

“I’ll bet you a hundred credits that douche is going to steal Ridge’s stuff,” the gray person sitting next to Will muttered. “Probably going to confiscate Bebop too. It sucks.”

The dean stood next to Ridge and patted his back.

“Well done, Ridgedog,” he said, smiling. He looked out into the crowd. “We’re all very proud of Ridge here. His invention will bring this academy into a much brighter future.”

The dean continued with a very verbose impromptu speech that was chock full of propaganda and patriotism. Will paid little attention to it. He was much more interested in the brief flicker of a worried glance Ridge shared with the robot at his side.

~~~~~~~

The next morning when Will rose early to get to the dining hall before Xephos awoke, he heard the news from a pair of fourth-year students.

Ridgedog and Bebopvox had disappeared in the night, along with their friends Verbal, Claptrap, and B.G. Circles. All of their equipment and personal belongings had disappeared. So had a small starship that was predicted to be the fastest in the fleet for the graduating class.


End file.
